A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10)

Somewhere along the way, I heard that children and animals are the best judges of character -- instinctively, intuitively sensing what lies under the surface of the polished package that we grown-ups like to present to each other.  So when I first started dating the woman who would one day become my wife, I remember thinking about these tests of a man's true character and realizing that my campaign to woo my woman faced two key litmus tests for the approval of our budding relationship.  The pressure was not so much external (from others) as it was internal (me pressuring myself) -- but I clearly remember feeling a bit anxious, insecure, and uneasy as I went through different phases of integration into my girlfriend's life.  And even more than the anxiety of meeting the parents and the best friends -- which are more commonly discussed as the litmus tests for relational prospects -- I felt a keen sense of curiosity and anxiety about integrating with her extended family (including young cousins) and her pets.

The cousins proved to be not much of a problem.  Even though I was in college and they were just in elementary school, we got along famously at the family wedding where we first got acquainted.  I felt very proud and very happy overhearing the aunts and uncles talk with my girlfriend about how "he's so great with kids."

The pets were a bit trickier, however.  Actually, I should say there was no problem with the dogs; they loved me, and I loved them.  But the cat was a notorious snob who was best characterized by his habit of sulking in the corner with his back turned to the rest of the room, furiously twitching his tail, whenever offended (which was fairly frequently).  And to make matters worse, I was (and am) slightly allergic to cats.  So I felt it was a true victory -- a real defining moment in our relationship -- when ol' Charlie climbed into my lap and purred as I petted him, simultaneously sharing googly-eyed conversation with the woman of my dreams.  It could be that my wife doesn't have the slightest inkling that this was such a defining moment in our relationship, but it was.  I felt totally vindicated.

And why not?  The Proverbs tell us that a person's interaction with animals can in fact reveal a lot about their personality.  And I've witnessed it to be true, too.  Haven't you noticed the same?  It's hard to make highly specific conclusions, of course, but we all seem to sense that these "innocents" are good judges of character -- and their keen senses help to perk our ears up as well.  In entrusting others with responsibility for the things near and dear to us -- be it for our secrets, our children, our house-pets, our businesses, our churches -- we need to be wise and pay attention to every available indicator... A cleverly-coordinated trip to one's local petting zoo might be a bit overboard and awkward -- but I'm sure you get the idea...